Galen Kipar came to KPFA this week for some music and talk. He’s from North Carolina, visiting his sister in Sonoma County. I was given a copy of his CD Why It’s Needed by Erin Scholze of DreamSpider (who also put together a great gig for me while I was in Asheville in October – thanks again for that!), and I was hooked right away.

I was a few seconds late in getting the recording started (which is just as well because the vocal microphone was turned up too high at the beginning of the song anyway) so we join the performance in progress. You’ll hear (most of) “October Snow,” plus “Ebb and Flow,” “For Frieda,” and some conversation. Enjoy! (Approximately 24 minutes)

Well, looks like the annual avalanche of x-mas “cheer” is upon us once again.

For those of you struggling not to be swept away by it, retro rock duo Mad Tea (aka Mad Tea Party) is throwing out a rope. Namely, Jason Krekel and Ami Worthen are giving away two rockin’ songs dedicated to the grinch in each of us. A little seasonal angst that you can dance to.

You can also hear these songs live at the Mad Tea’s upcoming shows opening for Southern Culture on the Skids – Friday, December 4th at the Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC and Saturday, December 5th at the Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill.

Larry Keel’s baritone rumbles with a timeless gravitas that is the shared voice of railroad steel drivers, traveling hoboes and modern mechanics. Rhythmic mandolin drives the songs, and vocal harmonies cry out like train whistles. The deep sound is beholden, but not bound, to bluegrass, and it bristles with excitement. Banjo solos break out between dingy verses. Keel is one of the premier flatpicking guitar players, but he’ll be given a run for his money at LINCOLN THEATRE, as the legendary Tony Rice joins in for the show. $14-$24/ 9 p.m. —Andrew Ritchey

New York, USA – First off: Jonathan Scales is a bad man. He traveled for 12 hours from South Carolina to drop his brand of Jazz /rock/fusion in New York at “The Shrine” in Harlem for a six o’clock performance on September 11. If you are going to perform musically in the stomping grounds of Max, Bird, Dizzy, Miles and Gillespie among others you have got to bring it.

Scales’ eclectic performance was thrilling. This was the first time When Steel Talks had caught a live performance of Mr. Scales and his company of serious musicians known collectively as the Jonathan Scales Fourchestra. We were not disappointed. This cat can play, and his band can perform. Scales has the control and touch of a Robert Greenidge but the controlled, edgy abandonment and creativity of a Len “Boogsie” Sharpe. If everyone else is performing Algebra – Jonathan Scales is performing complex math, Calculus – partial differential equations. We are not talking space cadet stuff. We are talking about a Thelonious Monk-like attitude with a Mozart creativity that works.

The band is well rehearsed but not stodgy. He is equipped with an abundance of talent, but does not take it for granted, with each flick of his steelpan sticks making a musical point – just on the steelpan. With his three bandmates, the Jonathan Scales Fourchestra was in town for too short a time, and with not enough fanfare.

For those who are wistful for straw hats, brightly printed shirts and island fare-styled steelpan, what Jonathan Scales drops is not for the faint of heart. He takes you to the era when a serious group of guys would get together for a jam session which was recorded live, and which, listening to it, makes one to this day, think – what on earth would music be like if that session was not captured.

This does not mean that Jonathan Scales has peaked; by no means. But it is clear that the steelpan in the hands of Scales is a cutting edge musical tool that demands any serious musician stand up and take note – and be aware.

Jonathan was quite remarkable. Catch him if you can; you will be very impressed. At the end of the day Scales is going to be a major player in rewriting the books on steelpan music outside the box. His non-Caribbean approach and roots leave him with a latitude and freedom not seen or executed by other steelpan players except for maybe a Boogsie Sharpe. In addition, Jonathan is not locked into or limited by the instrument configurations as so many other steelpan instrumentalists are.

Come ring in the New Year with Donna the Buffalo with some very exciting performances!

Photo by John Darwin Kurc

The band’s New Years Eve show will take place at the Loveless Barn, a very cool and beautiful new venue in Nashville, TN. The band played for the venue’s grand opening in January 2009 and is excited to be back celebrating New Year’s!

Complete show details, including special guests, will be announced very soon.

Tickets will be $60 and will include light hors d’oeuvres, champagne, hats, noisemakers, and a late-night brunch after the show.

It gets even better: On Wednesday, 12/30/09, Tara and Jeb will perform a duo show 9 pm at The Family Wash, which is famous for their Sheperd’s pie. They have a very nice menu with both veggie and non-veggie dishes. Reservations are recommended for the 8:30 seating. There’s no cover–it’s a pass-the-hat affair.

Then on Friday, 1/1/10, Jeb and Tara will perform another duo show at 4 pm at Saffire Restaurant (615-599-4995). For hotel reservations, contact the Hampton Inn (615-662-3133; mention the Loveless Barn show for a $105 plus tax rate) or the Microtel Inn (615- 662-0004; $79 plus tax).

Just a month ago, Larry Keel and his band Natural Bridge were playing a headline spot at Awendaw Green’s annual Rocktoberfest concert. What ensued there was anything but expected. Keel and the band invited local Charleston rockers Sol Driven Train on stage, for an extemporaneous medley of Bob Marley songs, musical interplay, and onstage antics that fired up the crowd and made for an extraordinary end to the weekend. This kind of musical uncertainty and intensity is part of what has kept Keel in the bluegrass spotlight for over 10 years now.

A fan favorite in Charleston, Keel and the band (Mark Schimick on mandolin, Jason Flournoy on banjo, and wife Jenny Keel on upright bass) will be playing a special show at the Charleston Pour House on November 21, joined by bluegrass legend Tony Rice. Rice has made a career of his own in the last 50 years, and played alongside legends like Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, Peter Rowan, Alison Krauss, and Ricky Skaggs, to name a few. He is easily one of the most well respected flatpickers on the scene, and will certainly add a new element to the typically high energy Larry Keel experience.

How exactly Rice influences their performance is still yet to be seen, but as usual, some surprises are guaranteed. “It’s weird,” says banjo player Jason Flournoy, “We have a real organic approach right now. It’s real free flowing when [Tony] gets up there. He likes playing Larry tunes, so we write out the setlist and just wait to see what happens from there.” It will indeed be interesting to see how the stoic Rice and sometimes unruly Keel will interact on stage.

“Larry can be anything you want him to be, wild, rowdy, intellectual, chill, what you see is what you get,” says Flournoy. “When he’s on stage, he’s fired up, he’s just happy to be there.”

To be sure, the show will be an exciting night of high energy bluegrass. The band has a longstanding relationship with the Pour House, and looks forward to every show in Charleston. “The Pourhouse is just good, professional people,” says Flournoy, “We love everyone there.” As for how it feels for the band to be sharing the stage with one of their idols, “It’s just freaky, to look over and see one of my biggest heros give me a nod to take a solo…It’s awesome.”

Show Details at a Glance:
Larry Keel and Natural Bridge with Tony Rice
Pour House
Saturday, November 21st

Pushing the boundaries of both bluegrass music and their instruments; two of the most innovative and influential bluegrass flatpickers around, Larry Keel and Tony Rice, are teaming up for a few fall shows.